Like Father, Like Son
by VampedVixen
Summary: Fraser finds out he has a son.. and the chaos that follows.


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Author's notes: Once again, I have decided to dabble in the black art of fanfic. Fanfic is fiction written by a fan of a television show. In this case the television show is Due South. In case somebody reading this hasn't watched the show here is the basic plot from the inside of the soundtrack "Due South follows the exploits of RCMP Constable Benton Fraser, an exemplary Canadian Mountie and his seen-it-all partner Ray Veechio. Brought together in Chicago by the mysterious death of Fraser's father, these unlikely buddies must find common ground admits overwhelming differences." The other day my friends were looking at me weird, okay so I'm a little obsessed with Fraser who is 2x my age. "Well, maybe he has a son?," I said to myself, and so this story was born. This story is dedicated to TNT, the TV channel that brought Due South back on the air; Michelle who kept yelling at me to finish; and finall to Marie-Andree who threatened to beat me over the head with an otter until I finished the story (inside Due South joke)

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON

The green 1971 Buick Riveria turned onto the exit that led to the airport. The planes could be seen flying overhead but the Riveria's windows blocked out the sound of the planes. 

"Ray, how do I look?" Fraser asked. He, as usual, looked his best. His short hair was dark brown, and he had eyes of blue. He was wearing his red serge uniform today.

Ray Veechio looked at his best friend as he ran a stop sign with his car. "Just relax, Benny. You look fine." He reassured him. Although, he didn't know how a person would 'just relax' when they were about to meet their sixteen year old son for the first time.

The car pulled into the large Chicago airport and stopped in the parking lot. Fraser and Ray got out of the car and started walking into the airport. 

Just look for the guy in red, Devon repeated over and over again. He was totally flipping out. Things like this don't happen too often. He was just as nervous about meeting his father, as his father was about meeting him.

A year ago, while going through the orphanage papers he had found his father's name, and with a bit more researching his father's current address. With a lot of hesitation he had sent him a letter. It basically said "Surprise, you have a son. Victoria Metcalf gave me to this orphanage after having me in jail. I want to meet you."

It was one of the bravest things Devon had ever done. He didn't know his father at all. He didn't know if his father even knew about him, it turned out Fraser didn't know about him though. He was afraid his father wouldn't want anything to do with him. 

Him and his father had written a few letters back and forth over the past year, and now here he stood. He admitted the letter hadn't helped get to know his father that much, yet here he was about to meet him and possibly move into his home.

He considered just turning around, buying an airplane ticket, and going back to the orphanage but just then he saw his father. The Mountie was looking for him.

So Devon walked up to him and introduced himself. "Hi I'm Devon Fraser, You're son." 

Fraser took a moment to find his voice. "Benton Fraser," he said as he shook his son's hand. "It's good to finally meet. You. This Detective Ray Veechio." He introduced his friend.

Devon grabbed his suitcase from the baggage carrier. The trio walked out to the Riv'. Ray took Devon's bags and opened the trunk. Meanwhile, Devon got in the back seat of the car. "Is this your dog?" He asked his father.

"Wolf actually." Fraser said matter-of-factly, as he took off his Stetson.

Devon almost had a heart attack, but kept calm to appear looking normal. He swallowed "Wolf? Aren't they supposed to be left in the wild?"

"Don't Worry. Deif's alright. He wouldn't hurt anyone.. unless they deserved it." Ray said as he got back in the car and got ready to drive back to Fraser's apartment on West Racine. It was in a bad section of the city but Fraser had decided that if Devon decided to stay in Chicago they would be moving to a better part soon.

Devon petted Deif's white and gray hair. He thought about what had happened in the past half hour and wondered if he had made the right choice.

Ray looked at Fraser then at the mirror to Devon and back to Fraser again. "This is too weird. You look almost exactly like Fraser, only younger." Oh course, Ray knew they were father and son, but it was just weird to see a smaller version of Fraser.

Devon looked at his father. They had the same color hair, and almost the same cut. Devon's hair was just a little more spikier than Fraser's.

Fraser turned his head a little to look at his son. "You have the Fraser family nose, and your chin looks like my grandmother's; you're great-grandmother." He looked back at the road as Ray slammed on the breaks.

Someone had made a turn without signaling first. "Learn how to drive." Ray shouted to the driver of the other car.

A few more minutes of driving took them to Fraser's apartment. Ray got out and opened up the trunk. Fraser opened the car door and stepped out of the car. Then he pushed the seat forward so Dief and Devon could get out.

"Are these all your bags?" Ray asked. There was only one suitcase and a backpack. 

"Yeah, the orphanage is gonna send the rest of my stuff if I decide to stay." Devon grabbed his suitcase and swung his backpack over his shoulder. "Now, let's go see your apartment." He said to his father.

Fraser led him to apartment 3J with Ray and Dief right behind them.

Fraser opened the door to his apartment. "This is it." He said as he went into the kitchen. "I'll be right back, I have to go get Diefenbaker some dinner."

Devon dropped his suitcase on the wooden floor and looked around the small apartment. Making sure his father couldn't hear him he sighed and looked at Ray. "This is it? It he kidding?"

"He's a Mountie, Mounties never kid." Ray said seriously, but then laughed.

Fraser returned after feeding his wolf. "Anywhere else I have to drive you before I go back to work?" Ray said semi-sarcastically. 

Fraser looked at his son. "Would you like to go anywhere?"

"No, actually I'd like to stay here and just get to know you some more. If that's okay."

"I'll be going back to work then."

"Ray." 

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Fraser answered.

"Sure, I was glad to get out of work anyway." Ray told Fraser. He turned to Devon "See ya, kid."

"Bye." Devon answered as Ray walked out of the apartment. 

Devon and Fraser spent the next few hours just talking. They shared their lives with each other. Devon talked about growing up in the orphanage and all the friends he had made and left behind there. His quest to find his father. His joy and excitement he had felt when he found Fraser's address and after some pressure from his friends, mailed the first letter, that led to them meeting.

Fraser told him about growing up with his grandparents, joining the RCMP, what had happened to his father and his murder. He also told him how he had come to the states and met Ray, and all the adventures they had had since.

Then the conversations turned more serious. "Did you love my mother?" Devon asked, searching for the answer that had puzzled him his whole life.

"I loved Victoria very much." Fraser said, a little sad at the memory of the one woman he had had a serious relationship with. "Unfortunately, we were on two different sides of the law."

"Yeah, I heard about what she did." Devon said "I even found newspaper articles about what she did a few years ago when she came to Chicago. But, besides that, I mean, if she came clean.. Did her time in jail and came back here.. would you get back together?"

"I don't know, Devon." Fraser said seriously. "It's hard to tell what would happen. People can always change, but usually…"

"They don't." Devon finished his sentence. 

Fraser looked at his watch. It was almost midnight. "It's late, and I have to work at the consulate tomorrow."

"All right, where am I sleeping?"

"You take the bed, I'll sleep on the floor."

Once changed into his pajamas, Devon laid down on the bed. "Thank you for paying for my airplane ticket to Chicago, Fraser."

"You're welcome, Devon." 

Devon woke up late that morning. Fraser was just about to go to walk out the door and go to work at the consulate. Ray was yelling for Fraser to hurry up. Devon ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Devon, I cooked breakfast. It's on the kitchen table, I have to leave for work now. Deifenbaker is coming with me."

"Bye."

"I am sorry I can't show you around Chicago. I know you were looking forward to that." Fraser apologized.

"No, it's all right. I can look around by myself."

"Do you have money?"

"Yeah. What time will you be coming home?"

"My shift ends at 5 o'clock."

"See you then."

"Let's go." Ray called from the apartment stairs. He was in a hurry to get to work because he had a ton of cases that had piled up yesterday.

They left and the door shut, leaving only Devon and his thoughts.

He dressed in a green sweater and jeans and pulled his walkman out from his backpack. Shuffling through his tapes he found his Goo Goo Dolls tape and put it in the machine.

He sat at the table and ate the food his father had cooked for him.

"So, how did it go yesterday?" Ray asked curiously while waiting at a red light.

"As well as it could have."

"Did he ask about his mother?" Ray knew his mother was Victoria because of what Fraser had told him about the letters he received.

"Yes."

"What did you tell him?" As a child from a divorce he knew how hard it could be growing up with only one parent. He imagined growing up in an orphanage wasn't any picnic either. 

"That people change, but most likely Victoria won't."

Ray stopped outside the consulate. "This is your stop." He let Fraser out.

Devon grabbed his Walkman and put it on. Then he fished some money out of his backpack. He locked the door and left, determined to find out what Chicago was like.

He turned up his Walkman's volume as loud as it would go and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. 

He finally had time to smoke without his father finding out. He didn't think Fraser would like him smoking.

He walked down the busy, crowded city street and listened to the blaring music of The Goo Goo Dolls. 

"They painted up your secrets

With the lies they told you

And the most they ever gave you

Was the most you ever knew."

With the music playing he didn't notice he was about to walk straight into his destiny.

The girl was reading a book while walking, resembling Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. She bumped into Devon and they both collapsed on the sidewalk.

He hit the cement hard and his Walkman flew off his ears, but landed on his shoulders. He looked at her.

She was beautiful, dressed in jeans and a gray flowered sweater with her long straight brown hair flowing down to her shoulders. She didn't wear much makeup, and that was the how Devon liked it. He would have swore he fell in love with her right there.

He stood up and offered her a hand. "Sorry about that."

She laughed and picked up her fallen book. "What were you listening to?"

"The Goo Goo Dolls." He replied as he checked to see if his tape player was broken.

"Oh, I love them!" She smiled "Is that the tape with 'Iris' on it?"

"Yeah."

"What a sweet song. I loved the movie they wrote it for.. oh what was it called?" She searched her head for the answer.

"City of Angels." He smiled at her. "At the risk of sounding really corny. I think Chicago is the City of Angels because I'm looking at one right now."

She blushed. "Nope, Chicago is just the Windy City." She joked, but to her it sounded stupid. "Where are you going?"

"Out walking. I want to see the best of Chicago."

"Can I come."

"I'd like that." He said as they walked down the street together.

"Veechio," Lieutenant Welsh called from his office as Ray walked into work a few minutes late.

Ray went into the lieutenant's office. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"A fax came for you. It's related to a case you were involved in a few years ago." The lieutenant handed him a piece of paper with a typed message on it. All it said was "I know where Victoria went when she left on the train."

"How do you know it was Victoria Metcalf, sir?" he thought it was more than a little strange to get this fax a day after Devon arrived only yesterday.

"I had Elaine check out any criminals with the name or alias of Victoria, and any type of train or subway. surprisingly there was only one."

"Do we know where the fax came form, sir?"

"The public library," He looked at him. "I want you to work on Victoria's case this week. We might just solve it this time."

"Yes, sir," he left Welsh's office and wondered if the kid was connected to all of this. He also thought about whether or not he should tell Fraser about this. He finally decided not to. 

Ray knew what just thinking about Victoria could do to Fraser. Until more evidence came out he was going to keep this a secret. No point worrying Fraser over nothing. Ray prayed that this really was nothing.

Devon and the girl he had met about two hours ago sat on the edge of a water fountain in the city park. He threw a Canadian penny into the fountain and made a silent wish. 

"Here, Jen" he addressed the girl and gave her a penny. "Make a wish."

Jennifer took the penny and whispered her wish to it. She threw in into the water where it made a nice little splash sound. 

"What did you wish for?" He asked.

"Can't tell you. If I did it wouldn't come true." 

"Aw.. you can tell me." Devon smiled at her as he joked.

"Nope, sorry." She smiled back.

"You have a perfect smile." he made her blush. He took off his shoes and waded into the fountain.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"I was hot.. come on it, it feels great."

"Isn't this illegal?"

"Yeah, but I happen to know a few cops."

She took off her sneakers and waded into the water, letting it splash around her ankles. It wasn't very deep at all.

Devon took her hand and brought her close. Under the spray of water that was created by the statue in the middle of the fountain, he kissed her, and she returned the favor.

"Hey Fraser." Ray said as he walked into the small office in the consulate. 

"Oh, hello Ray. " Fraser looked up from the paper he was reading.

"What're you doing?" Ray questioned.

"Trying to locate a Canadian runaway that was last seen in Chicago."

"Wanna go out to lunch?"

"Inspector Thatcher said that this is an important case, it must be finished as soon as possible." He apologized. "I have no time for lunch today, sorry."

"Come on Fraser. It's only one hour. It won't kill you to stop working for one hour will it?"

"It's quite possible, if Inspector Thatcher finds out."

Meanwhile, in the city park Devon and Jennifer were running from some bicycle cops. 

"I thought you said we wouldn't get into trouble. I thought you knew some cops and there was no way we could get in trouble." Jennifer nagged at him.

"Well, I do. Only he's my father and I don't think he would be happy if I got arrested on my first day in Chicago."

"Arrested?" Jennifer didn't like the sound of that.

"Of course there's always Ray, but I think he'd tell my father if I got in trouble."

"Oh great, what now?"

"How good are you at climbing?" Devon looked up at the massive tree that they might be able to hide in. If only they could do it without the bicycle cops seeing them, they could hide out and not get in trouble.

Jennifer sighed. "How do I always get myself into these situations?"

Ray finally persuaded Fraser to join him for lunch. They were sitting in a small booth in a diner. The place was busy since most of Chicago had taken their lunch break at the same time.

"You know, if you're going to raise a kid, there are a few things you can't do anymore."

"Like what, Ray?"

"Well, for one, trying not to get shot."

"I'll try to remember that Ray."

"Do you know you've been shot three times since coming to Chicago? Three, Geez!"

"I had no idea you were keeping count. I'll try not to get shot at anymore." Fraser said seriously, but Ray knew he was teasing.

"I'll make you a deal. You promise not to get shot at anymore, and I'll promise not to shoot you anymore." Ray recalled the time he had tried to shoot Victoria, but ended up shooting Fraser in the back. He tried talking with Fraser about it every now and the, so someday they might get over that whole dramatic episode of their life.

"Deal." Fraser agreed. "Anything else?"

"hmm.. try not to get arrested?"

"The police cleared me of all charges."

"So they did." Ray paused to think. "Standing in front of speeding cars.. not a good idea."

"Those cops are blind." Devon looked down at the confused bicycle police.

"Thank god for that." Jen looked at him. "Do you do this alot?" 

"Do what alot?"

"Break laws, run from the police.. kiss strange girls you just met a few hours ago?" Jen felt all tingly at the memory of his lips on hers.  
"Only when I have to." He looked into her eyes. "Only when I want to."

"Did that kiss mean anything to you?" 

"Of course!"

"You just met me." Jen pointed out.

"Yes, maybe... but it felt so right" Devon looked at her to find some reassurance. "...Didn't it?"

"It felt" she searched her head for an adjective to describe it. "...nice."

Ray and Fraser sat in the car driving back to the Canadian consulate. "Do you have any leads on the runaway Canadian girl?" Ray asked.

"No." Fraser pulled a small photocopied flyer of the fifteen year old girl out of his pocket. It had a picture and some information about her. "I was wondering if you could take this to the police station and see if anyone has seen her."

"Sure Fraser" Ray took the picture and put it in his coat pocket. "Why is the runaway so important to the Dragon Lady." Ray used his pet name for Inspector Thatcher. "Lot of people runaway when they're young. You can't find them all."

"The young girl is the Inspector's niece."

"Oh well, that figures." The car stopped at the consulate and Fraser got out.

Ray sighed as Fraser left. He hadn't told him anything about Victoria. It was hard keeping a secret like this one from his best friend, but he had to do it.

It was 4 o'clock and getting colder by the minute. It was October, so the sun wasn't as warm anymore. The wind in the Windy City was picking up too.

Devon had suggested they go back to Jen's house and hang out, but Jen said that they couldn't.

So they decided to go back to Fraser's apartment. Devon opened the door "Welcome to my place."

"It's nice.." Jen studied the rooms. "And barren."

He laughed "Tell me about it."

Ray returned to the police station and found a package on his desk. "What's this?" He asked Elaine.

"I don't know. UPS delivered it for you a half hour ago." She gave him a clueless look.

Ray sat down and picked up the package. He jiggled it a little but there were no sounds to give him a clue about what was in there.

He opened the package and dumped the insides out onto his desk. A few pictures and a letter fell out.

He picked up the letter and read it to himself "Here's proof that I've seen her."

At first the letter made no sense but as soon as he started looking at the five included photographs he knew what was going on. He also knew he didn't like it.

The photographs were all of Victoria Metcalf. Three of them were of Victoria standing in front of Hotel Chicago and the other two were clear shots of Victoria's face. It looked as if the person taking the pictures was doing it secretly because they were taken from far away.

"Damn it." Ray said under his breath. 

"So, you're father is a Mountie?" Jen asked as she looked at a picture of Fraser, Ray and Dief that was on the dresser cabinet. 

"Yep." 

"When did you come to Chicago?"

"Yesterday." 

"Yesterday? Wow. I knew you hadn't been in the city for that long, but yesterday? How do you like it here?"

"It's great." He looked at her and grinned. "I got to meet my father, and you. It's been great."

"Did you live with your mother before you came here?"

"Nope, I was at a Canadian orphanage."

"Do you miss it there?" She sat down on the bed next to him.

"The orphanage or Canada?"

"Canada."

"I miss the nature. The trees. The snow. The city still seems strange." He stood up and looked out the window. 

"I know what you mean. The city is a strange place, for people who haven't lived here very long. I'm sure you'll get used to it." She got up and went to the window. She stood beside him, and he wrapped his arms around her. 

Inspector Thatcher walked into Fraser's cramped office. "Have you found anything leading to the whereabouts of the young runaway, constable?" 

"No ma'am." 

"Okay, just keep me informed of the progress of this case." She turned and started for the door.

"Ma'am?"

Thatcher turned around. "Yes, Fraser?"

"May I be allowed to speak freely?"

"What is it Fraser?

"She is your niece isn't she?"

Meg was visibly upset at that comment. She never told Fraser of her relationship to the girl. "How did you know?"

"A letter that came for you a week ago was addressed to Margaret Chase, and I assume that's your maiden name because you were the one who opened the letter. The girl we are looking for is Jennifer Chase. She's too young to be your sister." Fraser grimaced at the last sentence he had said, but it was too late to retract it.

"She's my brother's daughter."

"Do you know why she might have wanted to run away?"

"Yes…" Meg paused, unsure about whether or not to tell him. "My brother is a real jerk. Our father used to hit us as children, and he continues the pattern on his daughter." She couldn't handle it anymore, any minute she was going to break down. If she had only listened to her niece. Jennifer had told Meg of how her father had hit her. Meg didn't want to believe it at the time. Now it might be too late to save her niece.

"oh dear." Was all Fraser had to say before Meg left the room. 

About a half hour later, it was 5 o'clock and Fraser was returning to his apartment. Ray had just picked him up at the consulate, and as they walked up to the third floor they continued the conversation they had started a few minutes ago.

"Just wait till Devon brings home his first girlfriend," Ray laughed trying to imagine how a straight arrow Mountie like Fraser might handle that.

"Did you find anything on Jennifer Chase?" Fraser changed the subject.

"Who?"

"The runaway"

"No, not yet." Ray admitted.

Fraser opened the door and found Devon and Jen kissing each other. They broke away and looked at him.

"Hi, dad." Devon was red with embarrassment of being caught. Only a few seconds later did he realize that was the first time he had ever called Fraser 'dad'.

Ray looked at the girl and was shocked. "Finding her wasn't as hard as I thought it would be."

"Um.. dad, this is Jen. Jen this is my father, Benton Fraser, the Mountie I was telling you about. And that's Detective Ray Veechio." The wolf came walking in through the door. "And that's Deifenbaker."

Jen looked for a way to get away, she knew what could happen to her if she got caught. She'd have to go back and live with her father. Served her right for hanging out with a Mountie's son.

"You wouldn't happen to be Jennifer Chase?" Fraser asked her seriously.

"You know, it's been fun but I've got to go. Um bye." She ran for the window and out the fire escape. She knew she wouldn't make it but she had to try.

Fraser went after her, with Ray and Deif not far behind. Devon looked out the window. _Great I've probably fallen in love with a thief or something, _Devon thought. 

He didn't know what was happening, but he did know he didn't like it. Grabbing his bag from the floor he walked out the door and decided to forget the girl and forget this life he had started only yesterday.

Jennifer ran across the street and darted in between the passing cars, not believing her luck. She had managed to out run the Mountie and the cop, and get across the street without being hit by a car. She could have waited for the light to turn red, but she wanted to put as much distance between the Mountie and her as possible.

She flagged down a taxi, which added to her lucky streak, and got in. After giving the taxi driver a tip of twenty dollars it sped away. Jen regretted giving the taxi driver that much because she only had 50 dollars to live off of, but as she looked out the back window and realized she had gotten away she knew it was worth it.

Fraser and Ray tried for a few minutes to get a taxi to follow Jennifer. If Ray had brought his police badge they might have been able to get one to stop, but he remembered a little too late, that he had left it in his car.

It was rush hour, everyone was going home from work, and it was impossible to get a taxi at this time of the day. Jennifer just had a lucky moment when she was able to flag down her taxi.

"Don't worry, Fraser." Ray said comfortingly. "You tried your best."

"She could be anywhere by now. I let Inspector Thatcher down." Fraser thought about this and it bothered him. Not only because he was supposed to be super-mountie of whatever, and not let people down. In his heart he knew he felt bad letting his superior down because he cared for her.

The duo walked back to Fraser's apartment only to find Deif sitting on the floor waiting for them. There was no sign of Devon except that Fraser noticed Devon's bag was missing. 

"He left," Fraser sighed.

It was late, too late for Devon to be out by himself. All the weird people came out at night, along with the homeless, and runaways. Devon guessed he belonged with them now.

Most were drunk as they wondered the streets. With a stolen beer in his hand, Devon knew he was about to join them.

He didn't do this a lot, but tonight he hurt. He hurt a lot more than he thought possible. The beer in his hand was the only thing that would numb the pain.

He thought about the wonderful two days he had just experienced, and how badly they had ended up. His father chasing after the girl he loved to put her in jail.

Thoughts of Jen crossed his mind. He tried to get too drunk to think about her but it wasn't happening. In his mind he pictured Jen, in her flowered gray sweater and long flowing hair. He heard her laugh and sweet voice.

Trying to drown out her voice he took another big gulp of beer. It wasn't the answer, he knew that but drank it down anyway.

Was he really in love with her? Was she really in love with him? He couldn't take it anymore.

He sat and wallowed in his pain and self-pity until half past midnight. Actually it was probably more like one, but he couldn't tell because he didn't have a watch with him. Even if he had a watch he most likely wouldn't be able to read it in his drunken state.

He got up and headed for the pay phone. The world swirled and danced. He stumbled a bit, but finally made it to the pay phone. 

Devon starred at the phone. Who would he call? He hadn't thought his plan out this far. He knew his father didn't have a phone. Devon wondered what kind of nut wouldn't have a phone.

He smiled at the answer. A nut like his father. He hated doing this to Fraser. It was cowardly running like this, but at least he was trying to make it better. If only he could call someone.

He concluded to call Ray but didn't have either money or the phone number. He called the operator and asked to make a collect call to Detective Ray Veechio. He pondered whether or not Ray would mind getting a collect call in the middle of the night, but Devon didn't really care as long as he had a place to stay for the night.

A moment later Devon heard Ray accept the call and say hello.

"Ray?"

"Who is this?" the detective asked sleepily. Devon knew he had woken him up.

"Devon. Ray can you come get me? My father has no phone. I can't call him. I'm tired and I can't sleep out here." Devon half whined.

"Are you drunk?" Ray asked.

"A little."

"Where are you?"

"Hold on." Devon said into the phone. 

Then he started screaming to the other people on the street. "Does anybody know where I am? I need directions to here, Where am I?" Most of the people just thought he was drunk and crazy. They were only half right. Finally an old man told Devon they were on the corner of Lincoln Ave. and Marchiano St. 

Devon thanked the old man and returned to the phone to tell Ray where he was.

Ray promised to come get him and Devon hung up the phone.

The green car slowed down at the curb of Lincoln Ave. and Marchiano St., and then stopped. Devon was sitting on the sidewalk, but stood up as soon as he saw Ray's Buick.

He slowly got into the car. As Devon closed the car door, Ray turned the Riv' onto the road again.

Devon looked down at his hands guiltily. "What did you tell my father?" 

"I told him you called me and I was going to pick you up. We agreed you could stay at my house for the night since I'm way too tired to drive around at this hour of the night."

"So you didn't tell him I was… drinking"

"No, I figured it was one of those stupid things you'd never do again." Ray looked at the boy. "It is one of those stupid things you'd never do again, right?"

"Right." Devon replied and Ray turned back to the road. "Did you find Jen?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"No, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, it was probably better this way." Devon tried to avoid the next question but couldn't resist. "What did she do? Murder? Theft?"

"Geez, that's what you think happened? She's not a criminal, she's a runaway."

Devon was ashamed of himself. All this time he had been thinking of Jen as a criminal and she wasn't one. The whole situation was incredibly ironic in his mind.

Devon fell asleep in his seat and the rest of the way to Ray's house on 2926 North Octavia Avenue was silent. 

Fraser walked up the stairs to his apartment. He had just spent the last couple of hours looking for Devon. He was returning home to see if his son had come back, though he knew that was unlikely.

He had neared the apartments and seen Ray's familiar car. Ray had told him where Devon was and they had agreed Devon should stay at Ray's house for the night.

Fraser was incredibly relived, but a little hurt that Devon had called Ray instead of him. He didn't give it much thought, figuring that Devon didn't know how to contact Fraser because he didn't have a phone.

Fraser walked into his apartment and saw his dead father standing by the window. To most people it would have been considered weird to see their dead relatives, but Fraser didn't give it a second thought, knowing it was normal in his life.

"Hello Dad," he greeted him.

"Hello son." Fraser Sr. turned towards his son with a broad smile on his face. "I heard I was a Grandfather and came here to meet the little tike." He said expecting his grandson to be just a little baby.

"Devon's sixteen years old, dad." Fraser pointed out as he took off his coat.

"Oh," he paused. "News travels slow when you're dead."

"I'll take your word for it." Fraser sat on his bed and untied his boots.

"Well, where is he."

"He's at Ray's house."

"Then I won't keep you up. Goodnight son."

"Goodnight Dad."

Devon awoke suddenly. He looked around and noticed the car had stopped. Ray was pulling the keys out of the ignition. 

"Oh, good you're up." He heard Ray say.

They stepped out of the car. The grass under Devon's feet was filled with dew. He looked up at the tall Victorian style house and felt safe.

Devon glanced up at the sky. No stars were out. In Canada, the night skies were always beautiful.

Ray stood at the front door trying to find the right key in the darkness. Devon walked up the stairs.

Ray located the right key and they walked inside. Devon was amazed by the charm of the house. It was nothing like Fraser's apartment. Most of the furniture that filled the large house was antique. 

Devon laid down on the couch, too tired to think. "Goodnight," he mumbled.

"Alright, Goodnight. I'll drive you back to Fraser's in the morning, okay?" Ray didn't wait for a reply as he walked up the stairs to his room.

A stranger walked into Ray's home in full stealth mode. No one was up, it was around five in the morning. Dawn had not come yet.

Her curls fell midway along her back. They swung slightly as she looked for her target. She walked over to Devon. With her leather gloved hands she pulled out her gun and held it up to Devon.

She sat peacefully on the couch next to him for a minute or two. Just watching him sleep. Finally she decided to go through with her plan. She put her hand against his mouth.

He slowly woke up. As the world came into focus he noticed a gun pressed against his head and froze. His eyes traveled to the stranger's face. It was no stranger. Devon knew this person even if he had never seen her in person before. It was his mother.

"Don't scream or I'll shoot, okay?" Victoria whispered to him and he nodded. She pulled her hand away. He stayed quiet.

Victoria gave him a pen and some paper and ordered him to write a note. It said "I've gone to find Jen. Be back soon." 

Devon questioned Victoria about how she knew Jen. She said that she had been following them the day before.

Victoria took Devon from the house quietly, with the gun still pointed at him. He put up no fight because it was so late and he had one major hangover. 

There was a taxi waiting for them a few houses away from Ray's. Once inside, Victoria told the taxi driver to take them to Hotel Chicago. 

Ray knocked on Fraser's apartment door. After reading the note Devon had left him he had rushed over to tell Fraser.

After a few minutes Fraser stood in the doorway. "You're early, Ray."

"Read this," Ray said as he handed Fraser the note.

He read the letter quietly to himself. "Well, what do you think?" Ray asked.

"Inspector Thatcher called me yesterday evening. Her niece, Jen, went to the consulate yesterday afternoon to find the Inspector. Jen is now living with the Inspector."

"So, that's where Devon went?" Ray tried to make sense of this.

"Possibly."

The cop's cell phone rang from inside the pocket of his armani coat. "Veechio," he said as he turned the phone on.

"Veechio? Someone came to the station asking for you. He says he has information about Victoria, and he'll only talk to you."

"Right. I'll be down there ASAP, sir." Ray ended the conversation. "Fraser, I have to get down to the station, anywhere you want me to drop you off?"

"The consulate."

"This early?" Ray questioned.

"Yes."

"We better be getting overtime." Ray said under his breath as they left.

It was a half hour later that same day. Ray glance at his watch, this time on a normal day he'd probably be just getting out of bed, but here he was already at work.

He walked over to his cluttered desk and sat down. Seated across from him was the man with information on Victoria.

"Detective Ray Veechio." Ray shook this man's hand.

"Rob Jefferson." The man replied.

Ray glanced up and saw a familiar red sight coming over to his desk. He was accompanied by Jen. "What are you doing here, I just dropped you off at the consulate?"

"I asked the Inspector if she'd seen Devon. She said no, and Jen hadn't seen him either." 

"We came to find Devon. See if the police could help." Jen added.

"I need to find him Ray." There was pain in Fraser's voice. "The note is a fake, and there's no telling where he is."

"You're Benton Fraser, aren't you?" Rob asked.

"Yes."

"I know where Victoria is, and if Devon is the same one that she was yelling at, I might know where he is." Fraser stared at him as thoughts of Victoria crossed his mind.

"What was she saying?" Ray was the first to speak.

"She said something like. 'Devon, wait till your father gets here. I just love family reunions.' " 

"How do you know Victoria?" Fraser asked.

"A few years ago, I met her on a train. She confided in me and I listened. She didn't tell me much, but I thought I was in love. We got off that train together and started a new life, just the two of us. After a couple of months she told me she wasn't in love with me, it was all just a rebound after being in love with you. We broke up and I wanted revenge. I found an article about the crimes she committed while in Chicago before I met her. I figured the best revenge would be to see her in jail. I followed her around and got evidence and stuff. I mailed it to Detective Veechio a few days ago, after I tracked her to Chicago. She's staying at Hotel Chicago. I wasn't going to come down to the police, but after I saw her yelling at that kid Devon I knew I had to do something."

"Thank you kindly for your help." Fraser said as he left with Ray and Jen trying desperately to keep up with him.

Victoria shoved Devon into a big walk in closet once they got to her hotel suite. She shut the door and then he heard the sound of the dresser being pushed until it stopped in front of the closet door.

He banged on the wooden closet door with his fists. "Let me out of here!"

Victoria took her gun and shot one bullet into the top of the closet door, just inches from Devon's head. "That was a warning shot. Shut up or I'll shoot more and you'll end up looking like Swiss Cheese."

Devon sat down indian style on the floor of the closet. _"What a wonderful way to meet your mother,"_ he thought.

Ray and Fraser sat in the front seats of the Riveria, with Jen and Deif in the back. The police siren was going off as they speeded to the hotel.

Ray figured it was now or never and began apologizing. "Look, Fraser, I'm sorry. I should have told you about Victoria. I knew she was here, even if I didn't want to admit it. I had the evidence, we could have arrested her before any of this happened."

"I understand why you did what you did, Ray." Fraser said. "Just next time tell me."

"I will." 

Jen stared out the window. She was worried. She was worried Victoria might hurt the man she loved. She had only just confessed to herself that she loved him a little while ago. At first, she thought she liked him only because she finally had a friend after leaving home, running away, a few months before. Now, however; she realized she loved him. The real deep, real true kind of love. She was determined not to let him get hurt. 

"What exactly do you think you're going to do?" Devon asked Victoria from inside the closet. She was standing next to the bed, packing a suitcase.

"Once your father gets here, we're going on a little trip. Just the three of us." She continued packing.

"Are you demented? You just tried to kill me, but you still think we can be one whole big happy family." Devon laughed harshly. 

Victoria picked up her gun and shot another hole into the closet door. It missed Devon's head again. "I thought I told you to shut up!"

"You know, the people in that room are probably gonna get mad with you shooting bullets into their room." Devon sarcastically remarked . "They'll probably get the hotel manager to kick us out."

"Then I'll just have to shoot them too."

"You really are trigger happy, aren't you?" 

Victoria shot another hole into the door. 

"Okay, fine, have it your way. I'll shut up now." 

They stopped outside Hotel Chicago. As Fraser and Deif started getting out of the car and walking inside Ray turned to Jen. "We're gonna go in there and rescue the kid, you are going to stay in the car, okay?" He said in a serious tone.

"Yeah, whatever," Jen muttered. She didn't mean it though. As soon as Ray was inside the hotel doors, Jen started following. She was just close enough to see the cop, Mountie, and wolf but far away enough to avoid being seen. 

Fraser raced to the room the hotel manager had said Victoria Metcalf was staying in. He kicked open the door and walked in.

"Benton," Victoria acted surprised. She was wearing a black wool coat and had hidden her gun in the right side pocket. Her suitcases were packed and sitting on the bed.

"Hello Victoria," Fraser said.

Deif walked into the room with an out of breath Ray.

"You're wolf's alive." She commented. She had always thought she'd killed him. "I'm glad."

"I'll bet you are." Ray snidely remarked. 

"Ray," she said to him. "You're not in jail, pity." 

"You know what?" Ray asked and held up his gun. "I'm just gonna shoot you right now."

Victoria pulled her gun out of her pocket. "Yeah, I'd like to see you try. I'd kill you before you even had a chance to pull the trigger." She looked past Ray to the doorway. "Or maybe I'll kill you're little friend."

Ray and Fraser looked to the doorway and saw Jen standing there. "Um, hi," She said. Jen saw Victoria's gun and had to resist the urge to run. 

"I thought I told you to wait in the car?" Ray asked, annoyed.

"Yeah, I know, and I was," She remarked. "For a little bit anyway."

"Jen!" They all heard a voice call out from the closet. 

"Devon!" Jen yelled back "Are you all right?"

"For now."

Jen started to walk towards the closet, but to do that she had to walk past Ray. As she did, he put his arm out in front of her, blocking her from going forward. Ray didn't want her walking out into the middle of the room, in between all the chaos, to get to the closet.

Without warning, Victoria shot another hole into the closet. "Devon, shut up. Who said you could talk?"

"What is the matter with you?" Fraser asked. "That's your son, my son…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know he's our son, but he's also got to learn to respect me."

"There's a difference between fear and respect." Fraser told her. 

"We could have been a family." She said as she collapsed in tears and sat on the floor by the bed. Victoria hated who she had become and was grieving for the family she never had. Fraser sat down next to her, comforting her. 

Jen and Ray took advantage of that moment to rescue Devon. They pushed away the dresser. Jen opened the closet door and saw Devon standing there. He advanced into the room and blinked against the bright lights.

"Oh God, Devon. You're alright. I was so worried." Jen whispered into his ear as he hugged her.

He kissed her cheek lightly. "It's alright, everything is going to be alright."

"I love you." She admitted.

"Me too."

Victoria was still sobbing about how she just wanted to be a family. Then she suddenly put her gun to Fraser's head. "There's hope for us still. Me and you and Devon, we're going to go away together. I got some bags packed. We can get out of here. Say you'll come, or I'll shoot you."

"No, Victoria." Fraser told her. "I'm not going, not this time."

Ray looked on in horror as the scene unfolded before his eyes. He flashed back to that night, years ago, when he had seen almost the same thing happen. Only this time Victoria really did have a gun, and this time Fraser really didn't want to go with her.

Ray and Victoria cocked their guns at the same time. Victoria's gun was pointed at Fraser, and Ray's at Victoria. Ray pulled the trigger only about one second sooner than Victoria would have. 

The bullet hit Victoria in the chest, in the heart, and she died instantly. The world moved in slow motion for a few minutes. Fraser and Devon were forced to evaluate their feelings for this woman. Sure, she had been a monster, but she had also been a mother and a lover.

Fraser, Ray, Devon, Jen, and Deif all left the hotel together. They met up with the police backup and had to spend the rest of the night talking to the police about what had happened.

EPILOGUE

A few weeks later, on Halloween, Devon was sitting in his own room in the big Victorian house he and his father now shared. Somehow, Fraser had been able to afford a house in Ray's neighborhood. Devon also loved the house because Jen and Inspector Thatcher lived only two blocks away. 

Devon dressed in his costume for the high school party him and Jen were attending that night. He was so happy he and Jen had gotten into the same high school and had almost the same classes together. 

Devon put on his Stetson and admired himself in the floor length mirror. He was going to the party dressed as a Mountie. He laughed; he really was the splitting image of his father. 

Fraser knocked on Devon's door. He opened the door and let his father inside his room. "Devon, what are these?" Fraser held out a pack of cigarettes. They belonged to Devon.

"Um... cigarettes?" He asked meekly.

"Your cigarettes?" 

"Um... maybe."

"Do you know how many different kinds of cancers and diseases you can get from these." Fraser started and then lectured Devon for fifteen minutes.

"Okay, okay. I won't smoke anymore." Devon said finally.

"Good." Fraser was proud he had finally done a real fatherly thing. He felt great to be a father.

"Um, Dad?" Devon asked "Is Grandpa a ghost or is it just me?"

"Yeah, he's a ghost."

Devon had no time to react to this because the doorbell rang. "I think that's Jen." 

"Have fun tonight, but you're grounded for two weeks because you were smoking, understood?"

"Fair enough." Devon said as he went out to meet Jen. She looked beautiful, dressed up as Nell from the Dudly-do Right cartoon show, a perfect outfit to go with Devon's Mountie costume.

Devon and Jen hopped in a taxi and as Jen leaned against Devon's shoulder he whispered to her, "You look really pretty tonight." 

THE END!


End file.
